


Stressful Days Lead to Comforting Nights

by DivineMelody



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Buttons is stressed and Elmer is a good boyfriend, Buttons likes to hide his feelings until he physically can not, Emotionally Repressed, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mild Angst, Panic Attacks, he knows it's bad for him but he does it anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 21:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15156425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DivineMelody/pseuds/DivineMelody
Summary: Buttons is having a breakdown about his stressful family and Elmer finds him. Sadness and fluff ensues because I don't like making them sad for long.





	Stressful Days Lead to Comforting Nights

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by CrystallizedTwilight's Belmerttons prompt about one of them being stressed out by their large family and they seek comfort in the other. I gave a go at the prompt and was pleased with the outcome.

I shut the door letting out a very shaky breath sliding down to the floor. I curl myself into a ball and put my head into my lap. The twins have been absolute hell today. Elanor's math is too confusing for me, it makes my head spin and Alvin has rarely stopped crying today. I barely managed to put him to sleep 5 minutes ago and he probably wont sleep for long. I feel a few warm tears slide down my face and hurriedly wipe them away. I push myself back up and open the door, walking out like none of that just happened. Now's is not the time to be soft Buttons, you have a family to take care of.

The faint sound of water running catches my ears and I immediately dash towards that bathroom. Alana stands there with a broken nozzle in hand and an overflowing tub. "I'm sorry Benji! I didn't mean to, I was trying to take a bath!" I sigh nodding. "It's okay 'Lana I'll fix it and call you when it's ready." She agrees walking away most likely to cause more havoc. Oh god, what am I gonna do? This means I'm gonna have to sell twice as much to pay for that stupid water bill. I put the nozzle back on and drain the water. I grab a rag wiping up all the spilt water and begin to refill the tub. I let out a small sniffle surprising myself. I feel for my face and notice the hot streaks of tears falling down my cheeks. I scowl harshly at myself wiping the tears off once more. Get a grip Buttons.

I turn off the water once it is filled enough and call out for Alana. "Alana your bath is ready!" I hear her little footsteps pound on the wooden floor coming towards the bathroom. She comes into sight through the doorway and runs toward me hugging me tightly. " Thank you Benji." she says, her voice muffled by my shirt. I hug her back smiling slightly. "no problem." I walk out ready to face another challenge that will happen in 3...2...1... Alvin cries out waking from his nap and I make my way towards him. I pick him up the bassinet cradling him in my arms. He's probably hungry so I head to the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye I see Elmer and Elanor hunched over a textbook and a notepad. Elmer looking more confused than Ela does. I laugh to myself but Alvin's cries soon bring me back to why in was in here in the first place. I hum and rock him as I prepare the bottle which seems to quiet him down for a bit. But of course I manage to screw it up.

I drop the baby formula startling me and making Alvin cry twice as loud. I bang my head against the fridge a couple of times before picking up the dropped formula. Luckily it was closed and it didn't spill. I hand Alvin the bottle and he takes it happily. I smile tiredly putting the baby formula away. I rock him lightly humming once again trying to put him back to sleep. It was getting late anyways, I look up at the clock hanging above the doorway. It reads 9:42 pm. I check up on Elanor and Elmer to see Ela writing swiftly and Elm looking like a proud dad. I walk to the Twin's shared room and brace myself for what is beyond the door. When I open the door I see the place you go to after hell. They both stare at me like a deer in headlights when I walk in. I let out an annoyed groan rubbing my face with my free hand. "Adelaide go put your bedtime clothes on and brush your teeth. Alana go brush your teeth since you already have your clothes on, while I clean up this mess." They both walk off hopefully to the bathroom. I hold Alvin in one arm while I use the other to put the toys in their respective boxes. I fold discarded clothes and put them away. The girls walk back in and climb into their beds. I tuck each one in kissing their foreheads. "Goodnight Alana. Goodnight Adelaide." "Goodnight Benji." they say in unison. I turn off the lights and shut the door.

I look down at Alvin to see him fast asleep and I quietly laugh. I go to his room placing him back in his bassinet carefully. I walk out quietly heading to the living room. Three down one to go. I knock on the doorframe causing them both to jump. "Hey, you guys almost finished?" "Yeah" Elanor chimes. "Elmer's been helping me a bunch!" I give her my biggest smile then look up at Elmer and smile tiredly at him. "How 'bout you go and wash up and I'll take care of Elanor?" I mouth a small 'thank you' to him and walk off. I get my clothes and head to the bathroom. The shower I take is swift because I don't want to waste anymore water. I redress and walk back to my room. I dry my hair the hang up my towel on a hook on the door. I close my eyes and smile sadly. Quiet. For now at least. I know it's not going to last long.

I sit down and press my back against the bed. Combing through my hair with a trembling hand I let out another deep shaky breath. The tears flow and I don't try to stop them anymore. They fall down my face hot, fast, and nonstop. A weeks worth of repressed emotions all come out at once and not for one second do I try and stop it. This week has been horrible and with the wasted water today I'll have to sell twice as much next week making it miserable too. I need enough money to help pay the bills and make sure the kids eat. Speaking of which, I haven't eaten today because I only had enough to make some for the other four and Elmer. I told him I had already ate at a deli nearby and he believed me. I feel bad lying to him but I have to. My stomach grumbles confirming those thoughts.

I let out quiet sobs covering my mouth with one hand and using the other to tug at my hair. Slowly I feel myself losing grip to reality. My hearing cuts leaving the only things to hear are the pounding of my heartbeat and the blood rushing through my ears. The corners of my vision start to go black and I panic. My breaths become labored, jagged, and quick making my head spin. I curl up into a ball shutting my eyes tightly. Tears still manage to fall out of them. I put my hands over my ears trying to block out the sounds but it only makes it louder. My lungs burn for oxygen and everything hurts. I claw at my neck thinking that it would help but it makes things even worse. I need Elmer. I try to call out for him but nothing comes out. The tears fall faster and my breathing gets quicker. My heart pounds in my chest sounding like at any given moment it would burst. I use both of my hands to pull at my hair and I feel chunks fall out but I don't care.

I want Elmer. Where is Elmer? Huge sobs rack through my body as I begin to cry twice as hard. I pull my hands away from my hair using them to scratch furiously at my arms. I feel myself beginning to draw blood knowing that my neck is most likely in the same state. "-uttons?...Buttons!" I hear my name being called faintly and force my eyes open. Through the blur of tears and the black surrounding the corners of my visions increasingly getting larger as time passes, I see Elmer rush toward my side. "Elmer..." I say weakly. He kneels on my right side and I feel my body give out. He catches me holding me in a comfortable position on his chest. He waves a hand in front of my face and I hear him speak. "Hey, Buttons? Can you hear me?" I give him a small nod, the only one I can muster at the time. "Okay good. Do you think it’s possible you can tell me three things that you see?" I lift up one of my quivering hands and point at him. "I-I see you." I point at the door 'A-and I see the door too." I try to look around but it makes my head pound so I shake my head very lightly. "I can't see anything else Elm 'm sorry." I say quietly feeling more tears fall down my face.

I notice my breathing becoming slightly regular and the black slowly fading away. Better than nothing. Tears still sting my eyes. "Hey no don't be sorry that's okay it's a start." His arms wrap around my waist and I feel him pull me closer. I grip onto his shirt still shaking like a leaf in the fall. One of his arms move from my waist and he uses his hand to comb through my hair. A few minutes of peaceful yet chaotic silence Elmer speaks again. :"Okay Benjamin let's try this again. Can you name three things you can hear?" I nod with a little more confidence than before. "I can hear your voice and-and your calm heartbeat. Then I can hear my pounding heartbeat." He places a delicate kiss on the top of my head. "There you go you're doing better already. He removes his hand from my hair and I whine softly. "Hey relax I ain't goin' no where." He hooks a finger under my chin and makes me look up at him. He smiles at me wiping my tears away. I push myself up hesitantly and kiss him on the lips. I pull away after a minute or so and open my eyes. For the first time in what seemed like hours I can see clearly. I look down at my hands and see them still shaking just not as much, and to my despair my fingertips are red with most likely blood. My heartbeat now is pretty much back to normal and I can finally breathe. I look at my arms to see them red with blood smeared over them and some still oozing out of cuts. My neck feels the same.

I grimace at myself. I look up at Elmer to see him smiling sadly at me. "Don't move, I'll be right back. He get up and walks off. He comes back no less than three minutes later with a washcloth and the first aid kit. "What happened Benjamin?" He asks grabbing ahold of my arm starting to clean it. "I've just been stressed lately and today wasn't really helping." He hums finishing wrapping my left arm with bandages and begins working on the right arm. "Why didn't you tell me anything?" I sigh "Because you've already helped enough for these past couple of days and I didn't want to bother you anymore." "When have I ever told you that you were bothering me. Besides your family seems to genuinely like me and if that means I get to spend more time with you, I'm all for it." He finishes wrapping my right arm and straddles my hips. I feel my face and the tips of my ears turn red. He grabs the wet cloth wiping my neck down with it. He kisses me slowly wrapping an arm around my neck while the other still cleans my neck. He bites down on my lip and I involuntary moan pulling my head back. My face and ears turn a darker shade of red and my eyes widen.

"Sorry was that too much?" He asks. I shake my head. "No. I'm just not use to that is all." He chuckles at me. "Now get off Elmer I wanna get on my bed." He rolls off of me and I sit down on my bed. He climbs back on top of and my ears and face go even redder if that is even possible. He puts a hand on my chest slowly pushing me into the cushion. He leans down to my level softly kissing me before rolling off and laying at my side. "I'm beat Buttons. What about you?" I nod in agreement. He rolls over to turn off the bedside lamp. He switches it off and rolls back over to face me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest. "We need to talk about this in the morning, Okay?" "Okay, but for now let's sleep I'm tired." "Me too, Goodnight Benjamin." "Goodnight Elmer." And for once in what seemed like months everyone in the Davenport household slept through the whole night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed. If you don’t mind I would really appreciate it if you consider following me on Tumblr @vertically-challenged-twink. It would update you when I posted another writing piece. Of course you’re not forced too, it would just make my day. Anyway that’s it I hope you have an amazing day!


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